Holly Bourne is an exceptional writer. When I read her book, You Could Be So Pretty, it made me so angry with the world our children are growing up in, with the permanent pressure to look good and fit in. I've recommended it to everyone I can.

Now 'So Thrilled For You' has taken that same laser focus and shone it on the world of pregnancy and early motherhood, another life stage where society tells women they should be grateful and happy to be mothers, that they should know what their babies need, that childbirth can be a breeze. If you're not feeling like that, are you an anomaly?

Four best friends -Nikki, Steffi, Charlotte and Lauren- are coming together for Nikki's baby shower. Charlotte, desperate to have a baby and deep into the IVF journey, has ploughed all her energy into making this the best baby shower ever - she has planned every detail and every second of the day. Lauren is already a mother to 9month old Woody, but it is more exhausting and tortuous than she could ever have dreamt and she can't see a future where this is going to change. Steffi has decided she doesn't want children but her friends can't see her perspective without feeling judged. She is on the verge of a huge business success but feels unsupported by her friends. They all call each other best friends but in amongst that, there are buried animosities and misunderstandings and none of them are entirely honest with one another.

The story opens with police investigating a wildfire spreading at the baby shower/ gender reveal party and interviewing all four women about their movements and motivation. Snippets of police interviews are scattered throughout the book, reminding us where the story is heading.

The book doesn't shy away from the realities of giving birth in underfunded and under-resourced hospitals, or the shock of taking a new baby home and being totally responsible for every aspect of their lives. It also addresses the overwhelming need some people have to be parents, dedicating their lives to making it happen at the expense of everything else as well as how we treat women who decide not to have children.

Its not an easy read and it should make you angry at what we expect women to go through without complaint. When you read the acknowledgements and realise that Lauren's storyline cover some of the author's own experiences, it is even more hard-hitting. Its going to be a story that I think about for a very long time.

I absolutely adored this. As someone who has been the Charlotte of a couple of baby showers and had very close friends who have been both Lauren and Steffi, this was a brutal and touching read. I know people say this a lot, but I did genuinely struggle to put it down and got through the whole book in a couple of sittings. So funny yet heart-achingly spot on in terms of what it feels like to go through these massive changes in a friendship group at this age. I've recommended it to so many people!

This hit hard! I highlighted so many lines in this, I may as well have highlighted the whole thing. It was painfully relatable, in ways that made me reflect on my own female friendships and their sincerity. I saw a lot of myself in Charlotte, including her too-muchness, and appreciated how the different characters' perspectives were nuanced - Lauren, for example, was like a slice of lived experience: unique while also being recognisable, and never straight-forward. I'll be reading more Holly Bourne (and will check out baby sensory videos of dancing veggies... I had not come across this before!!)

Delighted to be sent an ARC of this by the publisher as HB is one of my favourite writers. I found it incredibly confrontational and stressful in the best ways and it was all I was talking about for days as I was reading it. An uncompromising and incisive view of how motherhood changes women and their relationships. Absolutely stunning.

This book was a first for me by this author, but that said, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a variety of characters and and and interesting storyline. A bit of a different read for me, but look forward to more from this author

From the moment I started reading this book, I loved it. However, it should come with various trigger warnings. As a reader in their 30s who has suffered some of the same pain as Charlotte’s character, I really resonated with her POV and outlook on things. One of the beautiful things about this book is that I think there are parts of each of the women’s personality that would speak to any reader due to their different paths chosen in life.
The only reason I gave it 4 star instead of 5 is because it sort of fell into the happy ending trope in some ways and the ending felt a bit rushed. I felt like the ending was at odds with the raw, gritty, honest narrative we saw throughout the book. Overall, a great read!

A new Holly Bourne book is always a treat! A baby shower goes up in flames and the only question is who did it? This was so readable and engaging, and I thought it explored some of the big topics of being a woman in your 30s – motherhood, infertility, friendship, choosing to be child-free – in a way that was very comprehensive and nuanced without ever feeling paint-by-numbers. I felt like I understood every single character's viewpoint and grievances, even when they're sometimes in conflict with each other. Sometimes the characters are bitches to each other but it's always for a reason (except Nicki. Nicki just came across as weirdly selfish with a horrible victim mentality, I did not like her towards the end). I would really recommend, especially for a holiday read!

This was really good - a gripping read. So smart; I couldn't put it down.



Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi have been friends since university. Now in their thirties, life is pulling them in different directions - but when Charlotte organises the baby shower of hell for pregnant Nicki, the girls are reunited.

Under a sweltering hot summer day, tensions rise - and by the end of the evening, nothing will ever be the same. Someone started a fire at the house - and everyone's a suspect... Is it Steffi, happily child-free but feeling judged by her friends? Is it Charlotte, desperate to conceive and jealous of those who have? Is it Lauren, who is finding motherhood far, far worse than she imagined? Or is it Nicki herself, who never wanted a baby shower anyway?

In the aftermath, the police put together the facts - but the truth will shock everyone. Even you.

Holly Bourne has done it again with her newest adult book, So Thrilled For You. With a rich and varied cast of characters, the book shows what an amazing character study the author is - each so different and yet so real and relatable. At times it was too real, too visceral and it felt like Holly was shining a spotlight on the parts of me I don't want to look at.

Holly is an incredibly talented writer and with this book has shown how versatile she can be. Whether it's YA, rom com or drama, she can master anything she turns her hand to, and So Thrilled for You is no exception.

(4.25) To say this was a rollercoaster of emotions would be an understatement!

Following the stories of these four very different women has been extremely insightful. Each POV did a wonderful job of instantly transporting you into that person's world and made you understand how they were feeling, what they were thinking and what they wanted. All of the emotions were so raw and unfiltered - it was really refreshing to read. I found Lauren's story absolutely heartbreaking at times, which is a massive feat as I could not relate to any of it personally. It was also interesting to read about how different people interpret situations/other's actions (speaking of the article Steffi reposted in particular) and how quickly miscommunication can transform into a sort of resentment.

Having said all that, I found Nicki's POV probably the least engaging as I felt more frustrated with her thoughts/actions throughout. It didn't feel as varied - with the other characters I found moments I could relate to, things I didn't understand, or things I hated. I mostly felt annoyed while reading her chapters. I also didn't love how her and Phoebe's relationship was approached.

I did love how the story wrapped up, and I thought the writing was superb throughout!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for an early copy of this book - I'm definitely a fan.

Holly Bourne holds a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. Her books always resonate far beyond the words on the page, and So Thrilled For You is no exception. It’s another excellent read!

This story follows a group of friends navigating their 30s, each at different stages of their parenting journeys and wanting/not wanting children. The characters and their storylines were very relatable, even to me as someone without kids. The emotional rollercoaster Bourne takes readers on is both powerful and engaging.

The writing was well balanced with multiple characters and perspectives. It was easy to follow and stay immersed in the story.

That said, some aspects of the plot (no spoilers here!) felt a bit unusual, and the characters could be frustrating at times. But, for me, that added to the drama and intrigue.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. I’d highly recommend it to all my friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing this book and the opportunity to review it.

So Thrilled For You follows four friends in their early 30s - Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi - on the day of of Nicki's baby shower. Former university flatmates, the four have found their paths diverging somewhat as the complexities of motherhood (or lack of), relationships and adulthood have borne down on them. Perfectionist Charlotte, who has struggled through years of IVF, has decided to 'gift' Nicki with her own ideal baby shower in the knowledge she may not ever be able to have one, and she is determined that the party will go off with a bang. However, when when a gender reveal smoke bomb ignites an enormous fire, risking lives and destroying properties, the police start to investigate all four women.

This is a powerful read and one that I particularly would like to gift to the women in my life who are mothers. As someone childfree by choice, I think I was supposed to relate most to single career woman Steffi - who feels that her friends don't appreciate or celebrate her significant life events because they don't involve marriage or children (which did feel very recognisable) - but it is Lauren's brutal, visceral experience of early motherhood which felt most immediate and urgent. After reading Bourne's afterword, it is clear that it is this narrative which was most informed by her own experience, and it shows.

If I had one niggle, it's that the book felt slightly over-long, and the sections where the police interview each friend in turn did not feel particularly authentic. But it is a gripping and emotive read, and an important one.

📚 review 📚
so thrilled for you - holly bourne

ooof holly bourne has done it again hitting me where it hurts. I have long been a fan of holly bourne’s writing - the places i’ve cried in public is nothing short of a masterpiece and i love the way that women and the relationships they have with each other is portrayed in holly bourne’s books and this was no exception.
so thrilled for you is a literary fiction through the lens of a thriller. at its heart it is a character study - our four main characters have been friends since uni but their lives have taken them in different directions, their povs are interspersed with news articles and police interviews which really help up the stakes.

This felt so realistic and raw, like steffi i am child free and most of my social circle have children - so i did really resonate with the misunderstandings between all their ideas on life, love and children.

so thrilled for you well-written and brings all the points across with sensitivity - though some of the plot lines might be triggering for some so, do research before diving in
thanks to @netgalley for the early copy. so thrilled for you is out in january and holly is doing a few events - i have my ticket ready, check out your local bookshop for more details!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for my ARC.

So Thrilled For You is an exploration into friendship, womanhood, and motherhood, following a group of friends as they begin their very different journey's into becoming mothers. I'm sure lots of people will relate to this book and relate to at least one of the group, but also this might be an upsetting book to some. I personally related to it quite deeply, especially that feeling of loneliness and loss that comes with being the only one in a group of friends who does not have children and does not wish to. I appreciate what the author is doing with this novel, and I enjoyed reading it.

SUCH a good book! It’s about female friendship and motherhood, and will strike a chord with any woman in their 30s and beyond. I will be recommending this to all my female friends, particularly those who are mothers.

A baby shower on a hot summer day in a fabulous countryside house filled with old friends. What could be more lovely?

Over the course of the day, we watch relationships old and new melt in the summer heat as a group of friends gather to celebrate. One is suffering intolerable post natal depression, one is about to give birth, another struggles with her fertility whilst the fourth is committed to the childless life. Friends for many years - but do they really like each other? And who set off the smoke bomb that led to half the county going up in flames?

The characters are all believable. The fractures in their relationships are relatable. It's probably written for women younger than me, but that's not a big deal. I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy.

So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne

Nicki, Charlotte, Lauren and Steffi have been friends since university and are now in their thirties. They gather for Nicki's baby shower on a very hot day that will end with a terrible fire. What really happened leading up to the baby shower and on the day itself?

Oooh this book is delicious! I read it in a day because it has the compulsive nature of a thriller, but really it's SO much more... Holly Bourne is so wise and absolutely spot on about female friendship, childbirth and motherhood. It's 21 years since I had my eldest child but Lauren's experience was so familiar, it's like the author was in my head. If I'd read a physical book I would have been furiously underlining so many bits that resonated on how society treats mothers, gender roles despite best intentions, weaponised incompetence etc etc. It's BRILLIANT!!! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi have been friends since university but life has since taken them in different directions. Charlotte has organised the most lavish baby shower imaginable for Nicki and the 4 friends are reunited on a scorching hot day. Nicki never really wanted a baby shower and is horrified when she sees the name of a former female colleague who she became way too close to on the guest list. Lauren has a young son and, after an horrific birth, has been struggling massively with motherhood. Charlotte is desperate for a baby having had a number of failed IVF treatments. Steffi does not want to have children ever. This is a really great read about what it means to be a woman. Lauren's experience is probably not a good read if you are pregnant or trying to be.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Holly Bourne delivers a sharp and compelling exploration of modern womanhood in So Thrilled For You. Tackling themes such as motherhood, infertility, relationships, sexuality, and the societal pressures placed on women to conform, Bourne dares readers to question ingrained expectations and the silent shame women endure when they choose a different path.

The narrative is punchy, fast-paced, and brimming with intrigue, carrying echoes of a “whodunnit” that keeps the reader hooked. Bourne’s ability to balance weighty themes with an engaging storyline ensures the book is both thought-provoking and entertaining. The depiction of Lauren’s postnatal depression is particularly poignant, offering raw and relatable insights into a subject often shrouded in stigma.

Bourne’s storytelling feels modern and urgent, making it easy to imagine this novel adapted into a gripping TV series. A thoroughly compelling read that challenges societal norms while delivering an unforgettable story.

When four friends who no longer have much in common gather for a baby shower thrown by one of them for another, they are supposed to be celebrating. Except that the seething summer heat serves to bring tensions to a boiling point, with outcomes no one could have predicted.

When things go up in flames, one of them literally burns the house down. But who was really responsible for what happened? It's hard to tell, when so many secrets are being protected by members of the quartet...

The book has things to say, both poignant and troubling, about motherhood and female friendship that may have resonance for many readers, but there is also laugh out loud humour sprinkled on top. Well observed social commentary, for those who are interested.